US executive was told Grenfell panels were unsafe on buildings over 12 metres

Firm did not stop sale of panels despite two blazes involving similar materials, inquiry hears

One of the most senior US executives at the company Arconic was likely told its cladding panels were unsafe for buildings above 12 metres in height, two years before the Grenfell Tower disaster, the public inquiry has heard.

The $7bn a year turnover aluminium specialist sold the plastic-filled panels for use on the apartment block in west London, which was more than five times taller than that maximum and went up in flames in June 2017 - killing 72 people.